The incident reportedly happened around 8pm local time on Wednesday, with a large fire starting after the explosion. A video emerged online showing an orange glow lighting up the sky and emergency crews rushing to the scene.

Earlier this year, China suffered from a major blast at a warehouse storing hazardous chemicals in Tianjin, also in the country's north-east. More than 170 people were killed and nearly 800 injured in a series of explosions. Staggeringly high cyanide levels were registered in the area following the incident.

In 2005, explosions at a Jilin chemical plant caused a massive evacuation of the area. Tens of thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes. Six people were killed and dozens injured in the explosions. Following the incident, an 80-kilometer (50 miles) toxic slick appeared in the Songhua River, which for weeks flowed into the Amur River, one of the world's longest rivers.